Slenderman
by Shadow of Malice
Summary: When Naru accepted the case located in the middle of nowehere, he never expected to have anything more than a prankster at work. Maybe even a playful poltergist. But he was wrong. Very wrong.
1. Prologue - The Case

_**Slenderman**_

_**A Ghost Hunt Fic**_

_**By: Shadow of Malice**_

_**~X-x-X~**_

**Summary: **When Naru accepted the case located in the middle of nowhere, he never expected to have anything more than a residual spirit. But he was wrong. _Very _wrong. Set a year after Eugene's found.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Ghost Hunt and no way in _hell _do I own Slender. He may kill us... I researched everything there is to have researched to make this as realistic as possible. Enjoy~

**Chapter 1: Prologue - **_**The case**_

_Heart pounding..._

_Feet stomping..._

_Twigs snapped like bones as they splintered into a thousand pieces while the wind pierced the air. It howled through dead tree branches like a starving wolf crying for a feast. There was no sound of pursuit in the air over the gale like winds, but she dare not stop. Dare not look back to see the disturbed smile or the way _its _arms swung lazily at its sides. Even as the darkness continued to grow despite the full moon overhead, casting gnarled shadows across the ground, she continued on... _

_Even as the night and forest clawed at her sweat covered skin._

_Blood mingled with salty water, making the numerous cuts sting like a whip across her flesh. Pain kept the adrenalin pumping strong through her veins. But fatigue caught up to her like a rubber band when her lungs started burning and her muscles cried for rest. _

_Trees passed in a blur as she made one last effort to get away. Leaping and hurdling over fallen trees and jagged rocks, she stumbled at the sight of white as she passed a break in the trees. With a panicked shriek, she slammed into the rough soil infront of her, pebbles flying in all directions and slamming against her battered body in her struggle to stay as upright as possible._

_The shadows clawed at her..._

_The wind died..._

_Only her breathing, uneven and shallow, rent the air as she spun on her knees, legs digging painfully into the harsh terrain. But despite the sharp sting, she paid it no heed. Not even a second thought passed as a defeated sigh left her lips while her head hung in despair. _

'_Snap!'_

_She spun around. Fear clutching her heart in a vice as she whipped her head from side to side. She squinted in an effort to see through the unrelenting darkness and menacing shadows of the forest around her, but to no avail. It was hopeless even as the full moon sat high in the sky above her... The silvery light a menacing yellow in the night._

_A spike of fear, a small thrill as if she'd been dunked in icy water, suddenly took hold and she shuddered. Every muscle tensed, like a coil spun too tight when a cool breeze washed over the back of her neck. The fine hairs raised and goose bumps rose in a wave across her body. Eyes as wide as dinner plates, curiosity took control and she turned, rigid from fright and throat constricted against the air that threatened to rush out in a wave of sound, she turned..._

_And screamed..._

_~X-x-X~_

"Hello! Welcome to SPR. How can we help you?" Osamu Yasuhara, office worker for SPR, asked. His grey suit rumpled while papers fluttered to the floor.

"Um... Yes. I'm Nadoru Yumi. I have an appointment?" A young woman, no older than twenty-four, with deep chocolate eyes and brunette hair questioned, unnerved by Yasu's young appearance. The pair was saved from the typical affirmation when the office door slammed open.

"Morning Boss! Little Boss! Lin!" Silence greeted the cheerful greeting until 'Little Boss' stopped.

"Not fair! I'm not that short anymore! You're just being mean, Yasu!"

"Sorry Mai. But you're still shorter than me, which makes _you _short." Yasu joked, stepping up beside the brunette; a brunette that barely reached his chin.

In the year since Eugene had been found and Oliver and Lin had taken him to be buried, Mai had filled out and even grew her hair. Instead of short and choppy, it was longer, to her shoulder blades, and wavy. She'd even toned her muscles through her work with SPR. Skinny jeans and singlets gave her a more mature look compared to her skirts and jumpers of her high school days.

Enough embarrassing incidents had taught her the benefits of pants.

A cough tore the two apart and turned their attention to their dark haired boss.

"If you two are done being children, may we proceed?" He left the question hanging before he turned to the client, a fake smile plastered to his pale face. "Ms Nadoru. I'm Kazuya Shibuya, owner of Shibuya Psychic Research. Take a seat and let us hear your case."

Will suddenly pale features, Yumi took a seat, tears gathering quickly in her eyes while Mai handed out tea the others hadn't seen the brunette retrieve. "It's horrible. At first... at first we thought someone was playing a prank on us. But then... then it kept happening. _Every day_. The complaints and sightings just kept getting worse-"

"Ms Nadoru. We do not deal in pranks. We suggest you go to the police-"

"_Naru!" _Mai hissed, a plea of urgency barely concealed within the urgency of her tone. Oliver blinked for a moment before he turned back to the client, nodding his head for her to continue.

"Ah. Thank you. Well, we started getting complaints about a man lurking in the woods around campers. You see, my family and I have run a facility an hour out of Tokyo for those that want to get away. We have a large lake, so we generally get a lot of business. But lately, people have stopped coming and those that have come said their children have gone missing. For days, we had police and volunteers down on the site but we haven't found a single clue as to where the children went... Now, I know, it sounds crazy, but... I wouldn't have believed it to be something _unnatural_ until..."

'_I wondered through the main camp lodge with a bundle of blankets nestled in her arms, dodging the pillows that were strewn across the ground. The sound of crying filled the air once she entered the lobby, radio chatter crackled quietly in one corner of the log room while a fire whispered in another. The centre of the room was filled with mismatched seats, wires trailed the ground in giant heaps leading towards large computers. White boards with missing children plastered across them lined the walls and anxious couples cried on each others' shoulder as they waited for news on their children._

"_Now then. Please, tell us the events leading up to your child's kidnap." I heard one of the officers say, and I couldn't help but listen to what another couple had to say._

"_Well. We woke up and our daughter Saki was nowhere to be found. We ran around for hours until we found her at the lake. She said... the oddest thing."_

"_And what would that be?"_

"_She said, 'Mommy, Daddy. Don't be sad. The tall man said he'd take care of me.' And that was it. She was quiet the whole afternoon, and that night after we put her to bed, we decided to check on her. And she was _gone! _There's no way anyone could have gotten into the cabin! It's impossible. The windows were locked and we'd watched her door all night." The mother burst into tears as the conversation went on, the missing child having been gone nearly seventy-two hours._

_There were other couples; A total of eight families with missing children. _

_Each with a similar story._

_Straight down to the '_Tall man'_. Some of the more mature children had stated before their disappearance that the man had worn a formal of suit, something out of place to wear in a forest so far from the city. It was only when I looked out the window did I see a semblance to what the children must have seen._

_I screamed._

_Standing just outside the lodge, just behind the darkest trees steeped in the most menacing shadows of the search lights, was a man, taller than I had thought possible in a suit. His face was stark white and stood out in the night, but the most frightening thing... was that he was hunched, even at his height, with his arms hanging by his sides as if he didn't actually need _or _use them. There was something evil to him. The police ran out to chase him, but he was gone the next second. Only this time... two officers didn't return...'_

"So you see. This is why I came. This can't go on! For the sake of future children and hopefully with the chance of saving those already taken, please take my case!" Silence met Yumi's tearful plea, her desperation falling on deaf ears while Naru contemplated taking the case.

"Naru. May I have a word with you?" Mai asked suddenly, removing her hand from the clients shoulder as if she'd been burnt. With a faint nod, Naru followed his assistant into the kitchenette, leaning against the counter while Mai busied herself with making more tea.

"What is it Mai? This is the fourth case like this in a week. You can't expect me to take this one seriously too?" He chided, rolling his eyes.

"I know!" She snapped, glaring at him for a second before looking away, down trodden and shaken. "I know, Naru. I do. Really. But... I just have this feeling. Like this case and the ones we've heard before match up somehow. For example, the 'tall man' was mentioned by the couple just yesterday. And they even said they'd gone camping when the kid went missing. You can just ignore that Naru!"

"Do you remember the case locations of the last 4 potential clients Mai?" Naru asked, raising an eye brow at how Mai had pieced the cases together.

"Uh... Yeah, Nado Park Camping Grounds... That's Yumi's camping grounds!" The epiphany was not lost on her when a faint chuckle left Naru's lips.

"Good job Mai. Now, what did you feel when you touched her?" He asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Ever since he and Lin had returned to Japan after burying Eugene, they had discovered Mai's abilities extended even to subconscious psychometry. Something he planned on developing over time.

"It's not a poltergeist... I know that much. It feels... _darker. _Old even. But it doesn't feel like a demon, it's similar but different too. But please Naru, you have to take this case."

A small smirk pulled on his lips as he watched Mai's face transform from scared and thoughtful to fierce and serious. Innocent Mai had grown up. "Don't worry Mai. I'll take it. So gather the notes on the other four clients and give them a call to meet us at the site in two days time. Also, call the others."He walked out after that, leaving a puzzled but ecstatic Mai behind to fuss over the screaming kettle. "Yasu, call Madoka and tell her to find everything she can on the male described by Ms Nadoru."

"Does that mean you'll take my case?" Yumi asked, hope shining in her eyes.

"Yes Ms Nadoru, expect us in two days. We'll need a base and preferably two bedrooms set up for our investigation." He told the brunette while picking up his notebook and motioning for Lin to get Yumi's details before retreating to his 'cave.'

With the goodbyes dealt with, the youngest of the office employees set about contacting the required individuals for the case.

Masako, John, Ayako and Takigawa all made it down to the office within the hour to hear the briefing, in which time Yasu and Madoka had worked together to gather as much information about the 'tall man' as possible.

"So, Naru, what's up?" Monk asked, reclining against the back of the couch while sipping his coffee.

"Shut up you old man! He was about to say something!" Ayako yelled, slamming her bag into the bassists' shoulder.

"Hey! What was that for? He's not even paying attention!"

"Of course he was! HE's not _you!" _The red head screeched, attacking the man beside her until Mai entered with a tray full of tea. Once the drinks were handed out to the others, Naru cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention.

"I appreciate the fact that you all arrived so quickly, however, I find it a must to remind you that my office is _not _a coffee shop." Naru emphasised, glaring specifically at Monk as the blonde was halfway through a sip of his coffee. A sip on which he choked on under the younger mans gaze.

"Naru~" Mai insisted, placing his tea down infront of him, urging him silently to get on with the briefing.

"Anyway, the reason I called you all here (Yasu: Technically, it was Mai- *glare*), is because we've received several clients reporting the same case in the same location the past week and after some negotiation, have taken the case." Naru stated, casting a brief look towards Mai before continuing. "Have any of you heard of Nado Park Camping Grounds?"

Silence permeated the air until Monk clicked his fingers, drawing everyone's attention. "I know that place. It was on TV the other night. Something about kids going missing or something! Is that what we're investigating?"

"Not the children... But the _cause_. Every client that has come in, including the owner of the camp, has claimed to have seen or heard of a 'tall man' in a suit." Naru explained, glancing at Lin to continue.

"The children each spoke of a man that would 'keep them safe' and that the very same night of hearing from the tall man, they went missing. Our main client, Yumi Nadoru, claims to have seen this man, an event in which caused two of the officers investigating the children's' disappearances to, also, vanish."

"They haven't found a clue about those that went missing, which is why Boss asked me to gather some information with Madoka." Yasu intervened, standing from his seat to grab a stack of papers from his desk. "The 'Tall man' is thought to be a being that may have been created by mass thought, or the Tulpa effect. The thoughtform, or being created from a collective of thoughts, known as the 'Tall Man' is also known by names like Slender Man, Him and even Der Ritter; Which means this thoughtform had been around for a _really _long time."

"Why do you say that?" Masako asked, sleeve covering her mouth. It was John who answered.

"I know why. You see Der Ritter is seen in wood cuts made by a German artist Hans Freckenberg in the 16th century, 1540. Hans has many wood cuts in reference to Der Ritter. They say most stories, and even the origin of the thoughtform comes from Germany, mainly in the region of the Black Forest in south-west Germany. I've heard stories of _Slenderman. _But mates, I never thought they could be real." John said, face drawn at the thought of such a horrible myth being real.

"Well, what's so bad about him then?" Ayako asked, confusion clear in her eyes at what she thought was a situation blown out of proportion.

"You really wanna' know Ayako?" Yasu questioned, popping up behind the red heads seats and causing her to scream.

"Stop joking around Yasu. This is serious." Mai reprimanded the dark haired college student, grabbing a paper of the stack he had left of the coffee table and reading out the contents. "The Slender Man, known by many names, has been known mainly for the abduction of young children, but for others, like adults, he sometimes torments them for years until they disappear without a trace of cause. Some of the adults that went missing became sick, an illness known as the '_Slender sickness'_. At which point the person would venture near wooded areas. After that, they aren't heard from again."

A chill swept through the room at the new information, even Lin and Naru were disturbed by the facts that had been presented.

"Well then... that's just peachy." Monk laughed, a shaky sound that didn't sound right at all despite the given situation.

"You mean... We have to investigate this _thing?_ You've got to be kidding me!" Ayako yelled, standing up and crossing her arms. "I'm not sticking my neck out just because some people got a bit scared."

"Then that is your choice Miss Matsuzaki. If anyone else declines the case, you're free to leave. Know that in two days time, we'll wait here for an hour. No more, no less, should any of you change your mind. That will be all for now."

Silence once again took control of the room. Until Mai's head shot up, a single, breathless phrase repeating over and over in her head.

'_Help us... Please help us...'_

**~X-x-X~**

**And that's Chapter 1 of Slenderman! Hope you guys enjoyed this short little introductory chapter! I got the idea while watching Pewdiepie on Youtube and then I did some research. If anyone's interested, search the Slenderman documentary on Youtube as well and get the back story of the myth. Most of it will be covered within the chapters of the story. But if you don't want to wait, and can't be bothered searching for it, just PM me and I'll send you the link. Until next time...**

**Don't let Slender find you~**


	2. Legends - Slender Man

_**Slenderman**_

_**A Ghost Hunt Fic**_

_**By: Shadow of Malice**_

_**~X-x-X~**_

**Summary:**When Naru accepted the case located in the middle of nowhere, he never expected to have anything more than a residual spirit. But he was wrong. _Very_wrong. Set a year after Eugene's found.

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Ghost Hunt and no way in _hell_do I own Slender. He may kill us... I researched everything there is to have researched to make this as realistic as possible. Enjoy~

**Previously on Slenderman:**

_"Then that is your choice Miss Matsuzaki. If anyone else declines the case, you're free to leave. Know that in two days time, we'll wait here for an hour. No more, no less, should any of you change your mind. That will be all for now."_

_Silence once again took control of the room. Until Mai's head shot up, a single, breathless phrase repeating over and over in her head._

_'__Help us... Please help us...'_

**Chapter 2: **Legends – Slender Man

Nado Camping Grounds were massive. Completely surrounded by forest; dense, dark and gnarled, the site screamed '_danger.' _Mai stepped out of van as cautiously as she could, silence dominating the air as the team quietly took in the place they were going to investigate. The forest canopy seemed to repel the bright spring sunlight, the warmth of the day chilled by the shadowed surroundings.

It was as if even the light was afraid to tread within the camp.

"This is it?" Ayako asked, regretting her decision to accompany the others on the case. She closed the door to Monks car. "This place just screams 'evil'. No wonder kids have gone missing."

Her sarcasm was lost on them as the guys started unloading the van. They gathered what they could carry and started the short trek down the path to the main camp lodge. John and Masako walked ahead of the group to get a feel of the place and to try sense what caused the sightings of the 'tall man.'

"It's so... creepy." Yasu whispered, nudging Mai with the box he carried. "What do you think Mai?"

"Mmm... The brunette mumbled, adjusting the bags in her arms, "I don't know. It's fuzzy."

"Fuzzy? Is something wrong with your head Mai?" Monk chided, stepping up to the two young adults when he realised his joke had no effect.

"No. But that's what it feels like. It's as if something's blocking me out. I don't know... It's hard to explain."

"Maybe Masako can help?" Yasu mused, tilting his head up upon reaching to lodge.

A large, two storey western styled log building dominated the clearing; a place where the sunlight bounced off the rich green grass and perfectly aged wood causing the surrounding forest a wall of black against the golden white of the day. A weed covered path lead to the main stairs to the porch of the main lodge. Large double doors already open for the team. Even from outside, they could see the large old fashioned candle chandeliers that hung from the ceiling over the plush couches, mismatched armchairs and bean bags that circled a group of tables clumped together in the middle of the room. Large consoles and computers, along with radios and televisions littered the surface of the work space while police officers walked about the room. It was then that one of the officers noticed the team outside with their arms full of their own equipment and rushed out, a stern look on his face.

"Excuse me! This is a closed location. Please turn around and leave the premises." He yelled. He was relatively young, with pale skin and coal like eyes that bore into Naru when the young boss refused to turn around.

"We are here to conduct our own investigation on site in accordance to Miss Nadoru's request. She hired us to help deal with her problem. So if you'll excuse us, I'd like to speak to my client." Naru reprimanded before moving past the officer, ignoring the indignant look the young enforcer sent his way. It was only at Yumi's arrival that the policeman was forced to refrain from grabbing Naru.

"Mr Shibuya! Thank goodness you've finally arrived!" She yelled, red faced from running, she didn't catch Monks comment of it being Ayako's fault the team was late, "Another childs gone missing!"

"Another?" John gasped, steadying a shocked Masako out of habit.

"Everything is under control ma'am." The young officer grunted, puffing out his chest in a fake show of confidence, "You have no need of these people."

"He's right Ms Nadoru." Another man said, walking up to the group from inside. He was relatively buff with his uniform on, his bald head shining in the light as he turned to Naru and the others, "Now be on your way."

"Chief Dazo. I hired them. This is still my camp." Yumi said, her fear and frustration helping her ignore the fact that he could arrest her, "So if you will, I'd appreciate if you would work with them. I want those children found just as much as you. And I'd like them found without others going missing in the future too!"

Silence greeted her defiance as Dazo grunted before stomping away, trying his best to show his authority despite his bruised ego.

"Thank you Miss Nadoru. Now, could you lead us to our base? We'd like to get started as soon as possible."

"Oh yes! Please follow me." The older brunette turned on her heel and marched up the stairs and into the building with the SPR team trailing right behind her, passing the indignant chief as they went.

The lobby was just as Yumi had described during the case briefing. Pillows and blankets were strewn across the floor and seats. Papers and empty cups littered the floor and table tops between movable walls and boards that were plastered with reports, bios and pictures of those that had gone missing and any links to their cases joined together.

Yumi led the team through the lobby and into what looked like a large study... Though it looked as though some rushed moving had taken place; large bookshelves were pushed against walls, deep drag marks linked them to their original positions on the floor, as proof of the poor care that had been taken with the moving. Large tables and shelves were haphazardly shifted and shoved along and around walls in a mismatched manner, a seating area set up in the middle of the room to allow beds to be placed by the last wall by a corner full of boxes that were shoved in the last corner of the room.

"I'm sorry for the mess. It was a rushed effort." She apologised, bowing to them, "I'll leave you alone to get to your work .The bathroom in by the lobby. The room right next to this."

The second she turned her back, Naru started barking out orders. "Lin. Monk. Set up the monitors. Mai, sort through the equipment and then set up the kitchenette. Miss Matsuzaki, I want you to accompany John and Miss Hara on their walkthrough. Yasu. Go collect copies of the police reports. Get Madoka on the phone and get her to email us the history of the Camp and set up any research the both of you have found."

"Sure thing boss!" Yasu cheered, strutting out of the room to harass innocent bystanders that had no 'Yasu' warning like Monk did.

"Why me? Dammit!" Ayako yelled, storming out after Masako and John.

"Well then! Let's get to work!" Monk said, pulling his none existent sleeves up before her got to work. Ignoring the way Lin shook his head at his enthusiasm.

The team set about their tasks while Mai leant down by the corner of boxes in which the men had placed the equipment. It wasn't hard to sort through the items they usually needed on the first day of an investigation, but she couldn't help the feeling of being watched. And when she stood to look out the window, she saw something.

A dark silhouette half hidden by trees; an unnaturally tall figure that seemed to be a statue.

It was then that they heard the scream...

_...The investigation had begun..._

~X-x-X~

_Next chapter will be longer, better and a whole lot more suspenseful! And definitely sooner than this was to get out._

**Sorry for the delay, I've been trying to write to my other fics. I'm also sorry it's so short, but its a lead in to the story. Those of you that read my Cases of a Different Kind, I'm working on it. I'm about halfway through the new chapter and I also apologise for how long its taken. But I've written and re-written the chapter time and time again but have never been happy with it. So please bear with me. In the mean time, check out my Contagious fic and if you enjoy a good One Piece story, check out UIndeniablyAttractives fics!**

**Thank you to those that reviewed;**

**PhoenixNimbus.292**

**Barajou29**

**tennisgirl16**

**twilighttangel61090**

Be (anonymous)

Guest (anonymous)

**xXBrokenfeatherXx**


	3. Smile - Cheshire Moon

**Slenderman**

A Ghost Hunt Fic

By: Shadow of Malice

~X-x-X~

**Summary:** When Naru accepted the case located in the middle of nowhere, he never expected to have anything more than a residual spirit. But he was wrong. Very wrong. Set a year after Eugene's found.

**Disclaimer**:I do not own Ghost Hunt and no way in hell do I own Slender. He may kill us... I researched everything there is to have researched to make this as realistic as possible. Enjoy~

**A/N:** There will be the case file about Slender Man revealed in this chapter as it's easier than just writing everything in a long authors note and it helps the story progress. I'm doing this because some of you don't know the origin of Slender Man. No. Some guy didn't just say 'Hey, that's cool. Let's post it online.' Slender Man or Der Ritter have been recorded all the way back to and before the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs. So please pay special attention to this chapter and any further questions you have leave a review where I can respond to or a name to reply in the next chapter or just PM me. Thank you.

**Previously on Slenderman:**

_The team set about their tasks while Mai leant down by the corner of boxes in which the men had placed the equipment. It wasn't hard to sort through the items they usually needed on the first day of an investigation, but she couldn't help the feeling of being watched. And when she stood to look out the window, she saw something._

_A dark silhouette half hidden by trees; an unnaturally tall figure that seemed to be a statue._

_It was then that they heard the scream..._

_...The investigation had begun.._

**Chapter 3: **Smile – Cheshire Moon

Mai was perplexed, to say the least. Not only was it the police chief that had followed them, but now she was separated from the team and… with him. In a creepy forest! She wasn't even sure how it had happened.

'What luck.' She cursed under her breathe, regretting having only gone out with John and Masako. 'If only I stayed to help Monk. Stupid! Stupid Mai! Why can't I ever listen to my head?'

She flinched from a protruding branch, ignoring the annoyed grunt Dazo released as said branch hit him in the face. She couldn't help the little devious smile that slipped its way onto her face; the mild satisfaction helping her through the awkward situation…

Just a little.

"Hey!" Dazo called, huffing as he caught up to her, "Do you even know the way back? It seems you're leading us in circles."

"I'm not…" She pause caused a chill to run down his spine, "But he is." The cryptic meaning made him gaff.

"Nonsense! There is nothing paranormal about this. No matter what you think. This is just a typical case of estranged fellow who needs to be brought to justice before anyone, especially those missing kids, are hurt."

The determination in his voice gave Mai the impression that the police chief wasn't as bad as she first thought. But with a sigh, she brushed the thought aside and looked up. With a sudden gasp, the brunette came to an abrupt halt, causing Dazo to stumble into her, jolting the young woman out of her stupor and back into reality. Her eyes widened, body ridged as her head whipped from side to side, panic evident in her urgent mumbles.

"Hey girl?" Dazo asked, sighing when she ignored him, "Stop!" He grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him, causing her to glare at him, the glint of fear that shone in her eyes easily making a mark on the police chief, "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Her voice was incredulous as she looked at him, "Are you serious! Look at the sky!" She quickly pointed to the sky, making sure he saw what she wanted him to see what she wanted him to see. The sky was rapidly darkening, the first few stars of the night popping into existence in the velvet background faster and faster. Soon, they would be stuck in an unfamiliar forest, in the dark, with no food, water or any idea where to go. "Do you see that? Soon we'll be completely lost, in the dark in some strange place with some… thing that's meant to be most active at night. And out here we're even easier targets than the children were!"

He blinked down at her, for the first time letting the severity of the situation sink in as she explained to him everything they had discovered earlier that day.

_-Case Day 1-_

The SPR team burst into the lobby with Mai at the lead as they frantically searched for the source of the scream. A woman was on the ground, desperately screaming and motioning to something outside the door.

"Yumi! Yumi! Give me back my Yumi!

Monk was the first out the front doors, chasing something he had seen amongst the trees.

Police chased after him in seconds, stopping the team from following. Mai took the chance of confusion to talk to the couple in distress. The woman that had been screaming was being held in the arms of an older man, the matching rings on their fingers showing they were married. The sorrow on the womans' face tore at Mai's heart and the brunette leant down to them.

She waited for them to notice her.

"My name is Mai. What's your name?" It was all she could do to try calm the couple down enough to get the answers she needed. The elderly woman, with silver hair and pale grey eyes, stared straight into hers, almost as if she was trying to pierce right through her.

"My name… It- It's Nami. Nadoru Nami. And this is my husband, Tokura. My Yumi. It took her. She told us the other night that she's been seeing things since the children went missing… But we didn't believe her. Oh Kami! Tokura. Our baby's been taken!" The wails of the mother rang through the room, not stopping for a second, even as Monk was dragged kicking and screaming back into the lodge. Mai could only watch as Dazo ordered his men to take the blonde to a secure room.

"Excuse me. That is my employee that you are detaining." The cold air in the room instantly drew everyone's attention to Naru, who, without any sign of fear. "I ask that you release him so that we may proceed with our investigation and locate our missing client."

At the mention of client, Nami's cries increased ten-fold, forcing her husband to remove her from the room with a quick bow to Mai, sending her a look that asked her to find his daughter. The tension in the room was thick as the police took on defensive stances while the team of parapsychologists took their place beside their boss. The young CEO refused to blink as he waited for Dazo to respond, even as the police chief became visibly agitated at Naru's behaviour towards him.

"And he was a threat to us all with his actions. For all we know he could have been an accomplish to the kidnappings-"

"Takigawa would never do something like that!" Ayako jumped in, pushing to the front of the group. She didn't flinch when Dazo glared and she didn't budge when he stepped towards her. She only stood her ground and waited.

"You're right. He must have been the mastermind behind all this!"

There was silence as the team simmered in their anger towards the police chief, each wishing they could hit him where it hurt. It was Mai who spoke first.

"Then we'll prove it to you! We'll prove that Monk is innocent and we'll show you that it isn't a human causing all this!" The brunette yelled before turning on her heel and running back into base.

Papers flew and laptops were opened as the team scurried after her. Naru and Lin opened internet browsers and made phone calls. The others opened history books on the location, notes on the case file they had gathered while others went to work researching the kind of entity that could have caused the drama going on within. They worked mainly off what John had told them before the case, the small suspicion of the 'Tall Man' being at play being very important to their research. It took hours to gather everything they needed and compiled it into a mass file that Yasu took the liberty of reading out to everyone.

"So, going off the key features of the victims and their families, a tall white figure would be seen seconds at a time, usually a day or two before the person who sighted it went missing. Out of all the victims, Yumi is the first adult to have gone missing." Silence filled the room as Yasu made a quick note on the page before going on, "The 'Tall Man' is also known as a Tupla Effect, which is caused by a multitude of people thinking of the same thing to create a 'thought-form'. However, the 'Tall Man' spans the globe in a number of ways and dates back all the way back to the Egyptians in 3100 BC. The image of a Tall Man is found in a hieroglyph and is often referred to as the 'Thief of the Gods' or 'Thief of Kuh', the Pharoah Wazner, whose tomb the carving was found in. It's the only glyph of its kind throughout all of Egypt. There are cave paintings in Brazil from 9000 BC, recorded even earlier than the hieroglyph in Wazners' tomb. The figure was elongated and leading children by the hand somewhere unknown."

"All this is all very interesting Yasuhara, but how does it relate to our current predicament?" The impatient question showed how frustrated Naru was as he paced the room, trying to piece together all the information in his head.

"I'm getting to that Big Boss. The details on his looks are important." Yasu took a second to find his place again before he continued, "The most famous recording of this creature are in wood cuts by a German man by the name of Hans Freckenburg from the mid-sixteenth century in Halsteburg castle. The piece, Der Ritter, was put under x-ray once it was discovered, and the findings were chilling. The translation of the carving is 'The Knight', only, when they x-rayed it, the imaged changed to a long skeletal figure leaning over a dead body. The 'Tall Man' gets his name from the German meaning of Der Grosse Mann, which links into an ancient story from the Black Woods in Germany, which is considered to be the origin of the Tall Man. The journal entry of the story goes like so; Der Grosse Mann was a fairy who lived in the Black Forest. He chased bad children that snuck into his forest and captured those who couldn't get away. Creepy, I know. But it makes an odd connection to the Roman myth of the 'Tall Man'. A written record of the myth is found through another journal entry which is now known as the Legend of the Tall Man; '_The Tall Man stood in a clearing, dressed as a nobleman, all in black. Shadows lay over him, dark as a cloudy midnight. He had many arms, as long and boneless as snakes, all sharp as swords and they writhed like worms on nails. He did not speak, but made his intentions known'._ The reference links to some of the victims saying he had many arms. And he stalks those who become paranoid about him too from some reports."

"Ok. So let me get this straight." Ayako started, blowing hair out of her face as she lifted one finger, "This 'Tall Man' or whatever, can stalk anyone, though he mainly goes after children. Most likely because their easier." With a nod of his head, Yasu confirmed her words and she lifted a second finger, "He literally lives in legends that keep him alive as some kind of Tupla or whatever, and because he centres around woods, the legend probably manifested him here." The team took a second to register her words before realisation set in. She lifted a third finger. "He is literally a weapon because he has more than two arms which a lot of people describe as sharp tentacles."

There was silence throughout base as they took it all in. Plans flying through their minds but none coming to pass their lips.

Hold on a minute. Miss Matsuzaki." John started, drawing the teams attention.

"Yes, John?"

"Your exorcisms work best around trees. Correct?"

"Yes. Why? What are you getting at John?"

"I know!" Mai chirped, standing up in triumph. "We find and rescue the kids and Yumi, most likely in a dark place that the Slender Man would have hidden them, and then we get you to exorcise the forest. I read in the notes that in Scotland, they refer to him as Fe… Fear Dubh. The Dark Man. Which means if we can get rid of the evil shrouding this place, he won't be able to manifest because there won't be any darkness!"

The red head blinked at her, bewildered by the crazy idea. "No way. That actually just might work!"

Everyone turned to Naru to see whether he approved or not. Only, the dark haired male was focused on Mai, his eyes holding something close to pride as he looked at the brunette.

Feeling the groups eyes on him, however, caused him to come back to reality and he nodded his head. "That seems the most suitable thing to do. John, Masako, Mai. You three will go outside, together, and search for any clues as to the children's whereabouts. Lin and I will work on getting Monk out of containment. Miss Matsuzaki, I would like you to make protective sutras for the lodge and prepare for the ritual you need to perform once we have the victims of Slender Man back. Yasuhara, I would like you to continue research on the creature and any find any oddities between them and the police reports. Are we all understood?"

A series of agreements echoed throughout the room before they all went off on their assigned tasks; John, Masako and Mai grabbing a set of torches, their jackets and a compass before heading out of the lodge.

Little did they know that they were being followed…

_-Base : Current Time-_

Base was buzzing in the late afternoon as Masako and John burst through the door, both panting and covered in sweat as they stumbled into the room. They weren't surprised to see Monk lounging on the couch, but they were shocked when they noticed a certain brunette was missing.

"Where's Mai?" Was the first thing out of Masako's mouth as she scanned the room, making sure she hadn't missed the brunette by accident.

"What? She should have been with you!" Ayako yelled, her sutra's flying through the air as she stood up, nearly tipping the coffee table she had been writing on with the force of her movements. "How could you lose her?"

"It wasn't us!" John defended, even as guilt pulled at his gut and made him sick to his stomach, "The police chief, that Dazo man, he ambushed us. Mai told us to run. So we did. We thought she'd make her way back here if she couldn't find us."

"You guys know this is Mai, right? She wouldn't come back unless she knew you were safe!" Monk yelled, jumping up. He shared a look with Naru before they grabbed a few items around the room. "Stay in contact. We're going to look for her! We have a radio, so just use that!"

With that, the pair was out the door, armed only with torches, a compass, and a desire to save a certain brunette.

_-Forest-_

The pair passed a set of trees when something white caught Mai's attention. Without a second thought, she pulled Dazo in the opposite direction, keeping away from the figure she desperately didn't want to run into.

Again, she saw it and desperately tried to pull Dazo towards safety when the police chief pulled back, tearing himself from her grip and causing her to skid to a halt. The second she stopped, a sense of dread pooled in her stomach and she turned to him slowly, eyes growing wide at the sight of a gun being pointed at her. But that wasn't what scared her. It was that they weren't moving. Which meant it had time to find them… Or… Catch up to them per say.

It always knew were someone was while in its domain.

"Enough of the games girl! No more joking around! Now tell me who's behind all of this so I can get out of the god forsaken forest!" His voice was harsh and his hands shook as he held the pistol, fear showing in his eyes as he glanced around the dark forest. "Now. I'm going back to the lodge and placing you under arr-"

His sentence was cut off as long black limbs wrapped around him, like an octopus wrapping its legs around its food. He struggled in the things hold only to be pulled into the darkness.

All Mai saw was the flash of shots before a bullet flew by her cheek, cutting into her flesh as his screams filled the air. Her body acted on instinct and she ran, ignoring the way blood dribbled down her chin or how the full moon cast an eerie glow across the ground. She didn't even care where she went, as long as she stayed away from him.

She didn't get far enough though as a tentacle wrapped around her ankle and pulled her off her feet. She knew struggling was useless and resorted to the chant Ayako had taught her.

"Rin! Pyo! To! Sha! Kai! Jin! Retsu! Zai! Zen!" A horrible screech filled the air as the limb loosened, the dark aura lifting from around her temporarily. But just as she tried to get up, she heard a crunch from under her hand and she grabbed whatever it was.

It turned out to be a page; a roughly scratched image marring its surface. The message frightened her.

'_Don't look… Or it takes you…'_

**XxXxX**

**Sooooooooo... There you go. Chapter 3 of Slender Man. I've been really sick lately, so I haven't been able to write. Along with studying for my Certificate 3 in childcare, I don't have much time. But I try. For you guys. And the reviews really helped me get this chapter done, so I'd like to give a special thanks and acknowledgement to those that reviews. Please keep inspiring me with your feedback! Thank you for your patience. Thank you to the following for reviewing and helping me get this chapter out;**

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